


Fire and Ice

by LadySlytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-01
Updated: 2012-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 09:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySlytherin/pseuds/LadySlytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little drabble; Harry reflects on what he has...and what he doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Ice

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a contest on a page I admin; the keyword for the contest was "red" and this was what I wrote. Happy reading!
> 
> ~ Lady S.

Harry sat, quietly brooding, in one of the sitting rooms at Grimmauld Place. He felt angry and morbid and sulky. Everything had gone perfectly according to plan; three years ago he'd defeated Voldemort, Hermione had finished school while he and Ron had started Auror training, Ron and Hermione had become engaged, and he and Ginny had gotten back together. Everything was supposed to be perfect and it had been...until a few days ago. Ginny had been angling for a ring for a few months now, dropping subtle hints – and more recently, not so subtle ones as well – about marriage and a life together and kids. Harry had smiled and said all the right things and he'd searched for the right ring, knowing he'd ask her to be his wife just as soon as he found the perfect one. Then, two days ago, something had happened.

 

He'd been walking past a news stand in Diagon Alley, on the way to the Apothecary to pick up some Pepper-up Potion, and a paper had caught his eye. He didn't buy the Daily Prophet; too many headlines about himself. But this one wasn't about him. There was a beautiful photograph of a smiling couple; the young woman had long dark hair and brilliant blue eyes and she was practically glowing with happiness. The man...well, Harry would know that face anywhere. The platinum blonde hair was still slicked back, the icy grey eyes were still piercing, his skin was still alabaster-pale, and the pale pink lips were still curved up into a smile that was almost a smirk and not quite a sneer. Draco Malfoy, the Ice Prince of Slytherin. Harry hadn't seen him since the day of the Malfoys' trial, when he'd testified on the behalf of Draco and Narcissa and then returned Draco's hawthorn wand, with an awkward thank you for its use. Below the picture the headline read "Malfoy Heir Engaged!" in huge letters.

 

Harry had bought a copy and hurried back to Grimmauld Place to read it, Pepper-up Potion forgotten. The article spoke of the whirlwind (two months only!) courtship of Miss Astoria Greengrass. Two years younger than the Malfoy heir, she was only 19. Harry didn't understand, even after two days, why this article upset him so much. What Draco Malfoy did was none of his business; he shouldn't care at all! It shouldn't matter. They'd been schoolboy rivals and nothing more; they hadn't even been anything so passionate as enemies. Harry had had enemies and Draco Malfoy hadn't ranked highly enough in his life to be that. They hadn't been anything to each other, really. Just someone to fight with in the hallways; to annoy; to harass. Harry had been a bit obsessed with Malfoy his 6th year, that was true, but it had been a needling-sort-of-obsession, not an all-consuming-passionate-obsession and surely that counted for something, didn't it?

 

And okay, he had saved Malfoy's life at the end of what should have been their 7th year. But that was just repayment for Malfoy saving his life earlier in the year, by refusing to identify him for Bellatrix. After all, he couldn't leave Malfoy to die in the Fiendfyre after Malfoy had saved him. That would have been wrong! The fact that he could remember precisely what Malfoy's slim Seeker's body felt like against him meant nothing. Just like the fact that he remembered the feel of Malfoy's hot breath in his ear, those strong arms around his waist, that frantic heartbeat against his back was nothing. He was in love with Ginny.

 

Ginny. Harry sighed, letting his head fall back. He loved Ginny. She was his everything. He looked down and flipped open the small box he was holding, staring down at the ring inside it. It was a single marquise-cut diamond, surrounded by tiny rubies, on a ruby-studded gold band. It was beautiful – all flash and fire and heat. Just like his soon-to-be-fiancée. He tightened his fingers around the box and closed his eyes, picturing her face. Warm brown eyes and Irish cream skin dotted with freckles and petal-soft lips the color of roses. And that hair – that fiery red hair that caught the light and held it, bouncing it back like a living flame. That hair that reminded Harry of everything good in his life.

 

Red, like Gryffindor – his safe haven all those years at school and the first place he'd ever fit in. Red, like Ron's hair was...his first friend; his best friend. Always. Red, like Molly and Arthur and all Ron's brothers' hair; his family, who welcomed him in and made him feel loved and wanted for the first time.

 

Ginny was passionate and warm and loving. She was fierce and noble and determined. Ginny would fight to the death for those she loved and she'd stood strong during the hardest moments of their lives. She was amazing and he loved her, so much. He couldn't imagine his life without her; he couldn't imagine spending his life with someone – anyone – else at his side. She was meant to be his; they were meant to be together. Everyone knew it. Ginny was his other half. She complemented him; she completed him. She was perfect for him, in every single way that mattered. Harry squeezed his eyes shut – the edges of the ring box cutting into his palm and fingers as he gripped it so tightly his knuckled turned white – and reminded himself that he loved Ginny; she was his fire.

 

And Harry desperately ignored the little voice whispering in the back of his mind.  _'I wish I had ice..._ '

**Author's Note:**

> Oh wow...this one really IS drabble! It's a mere 936 words; this is officially the SHORTEST story I have EVER written! *is oddly proud of self for writing a true drabble* I hope no one minds the Drarry undertones! I did my best to stick to Canon; I do have Harry and Ginny together after all, and I even placed Draco firmly with Astoria. This was particularly difficult for me to write, because I actually hate Ginny. Passionately. And I normally write only slash. I couldn't seem to help myself with this, though! I saw the word "red" as our word/topic and this sprung into my mind, fully-formed. So I had to write it! I hope everyone enjoyed it!
> 
> ~ Lady S.


End file.
